


Pictures of You

by ladymsinclair



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-03-03 15:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13344306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymsinclair/pseuds/ladymsinclair
Summary: “No need for me to stay anymore. Hate goodbyes, so here it is. Good luck”.Years have passed since Theo sent Liam his first and last text. But sometimes, paths in life are nothing but long, narrow, winding streets that all meet up with each other.





	1. Ticket for Italy

_“No need for me to stay anymore. Hate goodbyes, so here it is. Good luck”._

_Liam stared incredulous at the first and last message Theo Raeken had ever sent him. He shut off the phone, shoved it in the bag and headed outside. There was no time to lose. Finals were coming. His whole life was. He had no time to lose with a running-off chimera._

***

“Liam?”

He was still humming the song, keeping the rhythm with his pen.

“LIAM!”

“Wha-” Liam jumped, turning to Mason as he pulled the headphones down.

“I’ve been calling you for hours,” his best friend sighed, sitting on the bed. “You ready?”

“For what?”

“‘For what’ he says,” Mason sighed and smiled softly. “To go out and celebrate your research project, and especially its funding,” he explained. “Which means getting an archeol-”

“I can’t get drunk. Werewolf, remember?” Liam smiled but stood up anyway, stretching a bit. He glanced outside the window and let his arms fall on his lap.

“Yeah, it’s only almost ten years you’re one,” Mason scoffed. “Well, you can party and not get hungover, I’d say it’s a good thing.”

Liam nodded and stood up, his fingers running through his hair. Since the Anuk-ite, Mason had him promise he would never let his hair grow that long, and he had always obliged. On his chin there was the slight hint of a beard.

They had dismissed their teen’s appearance for a couple of years now. Many things had changed, but not their friendship. Or Mason’s relationship with Corey, for how it mattered.

“I’ve got a surprise,” Mason grinned as he held the doorknob. Liam frowned and glanced at his best friend.

“Please don’t tell me it’s another blind date, you know how the last one went,” he mumbled.

“It’s not my fault she voted for Trump.”

“Twice-she voted for Trump _twice_ ,” he snapped as he crossed his arms. “I don’t even know how a black gay guy ended up meeting a-”

And he heard it. A chuckle. A familiar voice. Liam’s gaze darted to Mason and then to the door, as his lips curved in a huge smile that reached his blue eyes.

“You-”

Liam didn’t complete the sentence and opened the door wide.

There they were. His pack, his family.

“Scott!” he beamed, as his alpha widened his arms for a fatherly hug. “It’s been ages-”

“Well, now…ages!” Stiles put his hands on his hips, right next to Malia and Lydia, their arms linked. Both Scott and Stiles had shaven, while Lydia had her hair cut in a nice uneven bob, and Malia’s hair caressed her shoulders.

Stiles’s finger pointed at himself and the others. “Did you really think we’d miss the celebration? Come on, dude. We’re proud of you, kid.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, Stiles.”

“So proud,” he sniffed, patting his shoulder manly. Liam sighed and looked at Lydia, who rose an hand in a resigned ‘don’t ask me’ gesture.

Mason closed the door behind him and smiled at the others. “See, everyone’s here,” he said. Liam’s smile flickered for a second, and he nodded.

“Thanks, everyone,” he said.

“Well, then,” Stiles agreed, starting to push them. “Let’s go celebrating.”

Another thing that hadn’t really changed was the pack. They had singularly grown up, become the men and women they were always supposed to be, but their dynamics was basically the same. And as always, it felt like going back home. Corey joined them afterwards, greeted by a cheerful welcome.

“So, what is it about?” Lydia smiled, pulling a strawberry blonde lock behind her ear. “I mean the research project.”

“Ancient-”

“-Greece?” Malia inquired, curiously.

Liam shook his head. “No,” he replied. “No, the Roman empire.”

Stiles blinked quickly. “Woah, I remember you had like countless books about Ancient Greece, didn’t you elaborate the whole zoo plan for-”

“In the end pizza won,” Mason chimed in, cutting the conversation short. “He’s going to do ground research in Pompeii.”

“We’re all visiting you very soon,” Stiles announced emphatically. They all laughed and Liam tried to push away any unwelcome thought, glancing gratefully at Mason.

“I’m not leaving yet,” Liam said.

“Well, we should all go to check the place beforehand.”

Liam shook his head with a chuckle, as his eyes met Scott’s, who was smiling warmly.

“It might be odd, but Stiles’s right,” Lydia said, playing with the cherry in her drink.

“Hey, wha-”

“We have a couple of weeks off, and I have always wanted to see Pompeii,” she concluded and brought the cherry to her lips, looking at the others.

“It’s been a while since we made a trip,” Scott agreed.

“And we never made one that didn’t include maiming and bleeding,” Stiles added.

Lydia smiled softly, arching an eyebrow. “We went to Florida three years ago,” she hummed. “It’s no one’s fault if you hit your head, Stiles.”

“Still counts as bleeding.”

“If that counts,” Scott sighed. “You’ve never had a single trip not including bleeding.”

“I can’t believe you got in the FBI.”

“What about supporting your fiancé?”

“This _is_ supporting, Stiles,” Lydia sighed, and shook her head with a warm smile.

“What do you think, Liam? You’d like the idea?” Scott asked, tilting his head as he took a sip of beer. “Like old times?”

“Is there any monster involved?” Corey mumbled. “It’s not like there is something calling mystical creatures, right, and you’re luring us there to fight something? Because Beacon Hills is still calm as far as we know.”

“No, Italy is a beacon for tourists with pizza-”

“-and Italian men,” Malia said casually, meeting Scott’s confused gaze. His eyebrows said a single word: ‘really?’

‘What?’ she mouthed, holding her glass.

Liam played with the phone on the table. He had changed two phones since that text, but never his number.

_I should take an Italian number and give this up._

“We could help you find a place to stay, to adjust,” Mason agreed.

“You’re thinking about Italian men?” Corey inquired, arching a brow.

“No,” Mason scoffed, shook his head and sipped a bit of beer. Corey’s brow reached his hairline. Malia pushed her lips out in a pout, looking at Scott, who sighed.

“You know,” Scott said in the end. “It would be really nice. What do you think, Liam?”

“Yeah, it would,” Liam agreed, then looked at Lydia. “I’d like your opinion on some passages of my research.”

“Sure,” she smiled, raising her glass. “To Italy, then!”

“To Italy,” they all cheered, clinking the glasses together.

 ***

“Hey, you!” a voice called him as he took down the camera, turning to the source of the voice. The square was, as usual, full of people.

The young man frowned, looking at the woman walking towards him. “Yeah?”

“Can you take a picture of us?” the woman asked, handing out her phone, as the couple stood in front of the Colosseum.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to use those cameras, they’re too complicated for me,” he brushed her off, with a scoff. The woman stood still, incredulous.

“Rude!” she yelled, as he walked away, the heavy camera on his hands, with the huge objective mounted on. He switched the camera on, checking the last pictures. _I’m done with this city._

His phone rang in the pocket, and he let his fingers pull it out, sliding on the screen to accept the call.

“Mike?” the voice said.

“In person,” he replied, putting his sunglasses on.

“Where are you?”

The man called Mike, that once had answered to a different name, glanced at the huge monument. “Rome,” he said, letting his camera rest on his chest, as his fingers patted his bag to take the packet of cigarettes out. He bit one by the filter and exchanged the packet with the lighter. “Why?”

“Not usual to call you in a place where people aren’t shooting at you.”

_Don’t tell me._

“I’m on a vacation,” he shrugged and lighted the cigarette. “Any request?”

“Nothing in particular,” he said. “Where are you headed?”

“I’ve a open ticket,” he said. “I was thinking North. Either Milan or Turin, and then aim for France.”

“Great, tell me if you go to Milan, I’ve a couple of friends there.”

Theo Raeken nodded and puffed smoke out.

“Why not.”


	2. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam leaned against the back of the chair. “Yeah.”  
> He could hear Theo’s voice again. Everything ends. He ordered a big cup of coffee. But everything begins too.

**A few years ago.**

 

Breaking the door hadn’t been that difficult. Theo walked in first, looking around, as Mason was the second to cross the threshold of Monroe’s house. Liam twisted his nose with a grimace and sighed before he followed the two guys with Corey. That place reeked. 

“She surely left her stench,” Theo commented, taking a step further in. Liam’s eyes followed him. _I wasn’t the only one, then._ That house smelled of hatred and fear. The latter wasn’t Monroe’s, but the first one was all her. Theo opened a number of windows, and puffed the air out.

“What are we going to do, then?” Corey asked, starting to go through papers and stuff. “We find evidence of where she could have gone and then we go after her?”

“And then we finish school and just keep the info together,” Mason chimed in, crossing his arms. “This is a long run, we can’t halt our lives again.”

Theo turned a bit, looking at them with the corner of his eyes. Then he didn’t say anything and kept looking outside. “I’ll stay here for a while, to see if she comes back to take or look for something. It’s still her house.”

“You want to live here?” Liam asked, blinking.

Theo shrugged in a way that left Liam more questions.

_Yeah, where does he live?_ It was the first time he ever questioned such a normal thing. _Why should it matter? Anywhere is still better than the ground, which is more than he…_ Liam pushed the lingering tension away, moistening his lips.

“Well,” he announced. “Let’s take all her garbage then, and make this place at least decent for a-”

Liam stopped as if he wasn’t sure how to end the phrase. Theo frowned, as Scott’s words echoed in his mind. _You’re barely even human_.

“A ‘Theo’,” Mason chimed in, taking the tension off as Theo scoffed.

“Right.”

The group started to go through the stuff. There wasn’t anything important at all, but they managed to collect a few weapons and ammo. After a couple of hours, Mason let himself fall on the couch, looking around. “Well, that was anything but interesting,” he announced. “I think I’ll go home. You coming?” he asked, turning to Corey, who agreed with a sigh.

Then Mason glanced at Liam, who shifted his weight from a foot to the other. Mason arched both his brows and Liam shrugged a shoulder.

“I’ll give another check for secret passages and stuff.”

Mason nodded and didn’t add anything. “See you tomorrow,” he waved as Corey followed him outside.

Theo leaned against the window, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I’m not going to find a mass destruction weapon and use it on you and your friends,” he said.

“I know,” Liam scoffed. “But I really didn’t want to leave with the lovely couple there,” Liam replied right away, widening his arms and stretching and huffing.

“And what you want to do? Check this place again?” he asked, his voice thick with irony.

“No,” Liam puffed air out. “Not really. And what about you? What are you going to do?”

“Somehow I don’t feel you’re asking me about tonight,” Theo replied, as he walked to the kitchen, looking through Monroe’s stuff. He took out a bag of cookies and threw it to Liam.

“I’ll figure something out,” he just replied. Again, that left Liam with even more questions. He wondered how Theo lived, where he put his stuff – if he had any – how did he eat in first place. “At least until we’re sure this stuff with the hunters is over and done with.”

“There will be something else afterwards,” Liam commented, resigned, as he bit a cookie. “There’s always something else.”

“No,” Theo replied, taking one himself. “Everything ends sometimes.”

***

**Now.**

Liam was sitting at the café, glancing at the crowd from now and then, rising his eyes from the moleskine as he sniffled. There was a travel magazine on the table, next to his coffee. He had asked – as Nolan had suggested – a very short coffee. _You won’t believe how short an espresso is in Italy, it will help you getting ready._

His blue eyes wandered on a picture of Florence. Somehow, he liked that photo. His gaze lingered on the photographer’s name. Michael Holden.

“You okay?” Mason asked, sitting down and glancing puzzled at his cup of coffee.

“Nolan’s idea,” Liam justified.

Mason stared at the cup for a moment and then his shoulders sagged, resigned.

“Why wouldn’t I be? After years of examinations-“

“I remember those,” Mason agreed.

“Therapy-”

“I’m still waiting to be paid for that.”

“I can finally _do_ something, and I’ve got a scholarship to do so,” Liam puffed air out, playing with the cup of coffee. Mason finally took it off from his hands and drank the coffee.

“So what’s up then?”

Liam blinked and looked at the crowd again. He just couldn’t lie to Mason, at least not completely. “I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll miss your stupid face,” he grinned.

“You’re a liar,” Mason replied. “But let’s pretend you were honest. I’ll miss you too.”

“We’ll skype all the time,” Liam added and closed the notebook. “And it’s not like I’m leaving for months, I’m just following-”

“I know, but yet…” Mason smiled. “It’s a big step right? Another one.”

Liam leaned against the back of the chair. “Yeah.”

He could hear Theo’s voice again. _Everything ends_. He ordered a big cup of coffee. _But everything begins too._

***

**Then.**

Liam looked at Theo, sitting in front of the couch with his legs crossed. He was fumbling with something. The werewolf let the bag fall on the ground, but the chimera didn’t react to it.

“What’s that?” Liam inquired, throwing a sandwich at Theo. That had taken him by surprise, because Theo had just the time to grab it with his free hand.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“…a sandwich,” Liam replied, arching a brow. “I get it you lived so many years underground-”

Theo glared at him.

“I meant with the Dread Doctors,” he pointed out. “I was saying that I thought you knew what a sandwich was.”

“Of course I do,” Theo scoffed.  “It’s just that I didn’t expect it from you.”

“I said I wouldn’t die for you, not that I wouldn’t spend a couple of bucks for you,” Liam replied as he sat in front of him. He looked warily at him, as if he was trying to figure it out.

“So, there isn’t wolfsbane inside?”

“No,” Liam snorted. “Theo, I’m not you.”

“Nice.”

“Honest,” Liam pointed out, giving a bite to his own. Then he stared at the sandwich. “I’ve been thinking.”

“It must have hurt.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“So?”

“Well, you know… you manipulated me in trying to kill my-”

“I was there, thank you,” Theo said dryly. Then he sighed and opened his mouth to continue- “I’m s-”

“Let me finish, dumbass,” Liam retorted. “I meant, you managed it in what, a couple of months? So… I guess, you learned it from someone,” he moistened his lips. “So… maybe you were manipulated too like I was. For many more years.”

Theo looked at him, in silence. It was a long moment of quiet, as Liam played with a piece of bread.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, putting what seemed a camera down. “For what I did.”

There wasn’t really much to add, as they ate in silence. There wasn’t much to say in the first place.

“What’s that?” Liam finally asked, pointing his sandwich towards the camera.

“I found it here,” Theo replied, giving it to him.

“You like photography?” Liam asked curiously as he finished the sandwich and studied it. “Well, it suits you. You can see through people.” _Maybe this time you can use it to for a good cause._

“It could be a job,” he agreed. “I could also work in war zones,” he commented. “Kind of used with people shooting at me.”

“Careful not to have to explain why you heal if they get you,” Liam joked and shook his head.

Theo chuckled, and Liam blinked, looking at him. For the first time ever, he wondered. _Have you ever really laughed?_ Liam thought that he’d find out sometimes. He felt curious at the idea, as he took a surprise picture of Theo. He looked at the little screen, smiling.

“What’s with that smile?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking about stuff.”

_Everything begins too, Theo._

 


	3. The first one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your first one too?” Sidney asked, tilting her head.  
> “Maybe,” he said casually, as if he didn’t remember when he had taken it. Truth was, the first picture he had ever taken was a memory well impressed in the back of his head.

Now **.**

The club was in the top of an high building in the center of Milan. It had a modern design, with low lights, dark green couches and black coffee tables. There was a soft jazz music in the background. 

Theo’s eyes stared lifelessly at the bottom of the empty glass, shutting out whatever the others were saying for a moment. The place was filled with foreign people who met up for a drink before dinner. Or before going back to their home and usual life.

“I can’t believe you don’t actually have a place.”

Sidney’s voice broke through his wall, directly aimed at him. His grey eyes shifted on her, as he put down the glass on the coffee table. “What’s so incredible about it?”

Maria sighed, shaking her head as she took a sip of her martini. “Mind your own business,” she pointed out.

“Oh, come on,” a guy named Nicholas chimed in, leaning back on the couch. “I’m sure he’s well paid for his shots, it’s not like she’s asked why Mike’s homeless.”

“Well,” Maria frowned. “She kind has.”

“I don’t see why I should spend money for a place that I need to clean each time I want a day off,” Theo replied anyway, holding two fingers to call the waiter.

“Yeah, but were do you keep your stuff, like clothes, books…”

Maria raised an eyebrow, honestly curios now. “That’s a good question.”

“I’ve an e-reader.”

“And the clothes? Don’t tell me you brought all your summer clothes when you climbed the Himalaya because I’m not buying that.”

“I do have a rented box where I leave my stuff,” he finally said and ordered a second whisky when the waiter approached.

“Uh, I’d like to give it a peek.”

“There’s only my old cameras, clothes, stuff I’ve collected, a couple of old style books and the backups of all my shots,” Theo shrugged. He could have added that some of them he had printed, but he kept it for himself.

“Your first one too?” Sidney asked, tilting her head.

“Maybe,” he said casually, as if he didn’t remember when he had taken it. Truth was, the first picture he had ever taken was a memory well impressed in the back of his head.

“The stuff you’ve collected itself would be worthy enough to give it a look,” Maria sung. “You’ve been everywhere. We’ve known you for what…three years? And how many places have you seen?”

Theo didn’t reply, thankful for the waiter who interrupted the conversation long enough to make him change topic. “Do you know the people I’ve told you about? Grant told me to contact them.”

“Never met them,” Sidney replied. “But I know who they are, they own hotels all around Europe. Maybe they need new fancy pictures for their website.”

“Fancy pictures,” Nicholas commented. “Not your style, Mike.”

“My style is the one that gets me money,” Theo sneered, and then chuckled when the others laughed, sipping his whiskey. His eyes wandered on the glass wall.

_Stop thinking about it._

***

Then.

“Give me that,” Theo puffed air out, taking the camera off Liam’s hands. He checked the last picture, raising a brow at the photo Liam had took of him. “That’s a very lame picture.”

“That’s the subject fault,” Liam replied with a grin.

Theo tried and failed not to chuckle and then looked through the lens. “I’ve never used one of these.”

“Never?”

“Not once,” he admitted.

“You have to click the button.”

“Really? Thank you, I’d never have figured it out on my own,” Theo replied, his ironic expression in full display as he lowered the camera. Liam pouted in a cute frown and the chimera couldn’t help it. Without even looking, he pressed the button.

“Hey!” snapped Liam, trying to get the camera back.

“I’ll keep this picture forever,” Theo announced, grinning.

“No way,” Liam protested, but then sighed. “Ass.”

“Come on,” Theo joked, sitting at the table, as Liam stood up with the Chinese food bags. “One day you could brag that you were my first subject.”

“Wow,” the werewolf spitted out. “Such an honor.”

Theo laughed, answering a question he never knew Liam had asked.

***

Now.

“So, that’d be a no?”

Theo was leaning against a column, gazing at the flights panel. He was wearing an earphone, his favorite camera in his hand.

“It was a nice offer,” he replied, studying the numbers and letters as they changed. “But a whole month felt a bit too much time.” He turned the camera on, and brought it up to look through the viewfinder. _I’ve to clean the lens._ He clicked. “I need some action. I’m coming to Paris to meet with a troupe preparing to go in Ukraine. I want back on the field.”

“I swear you’re addicted at being shot at,” the older guy snapped. “Listen you’re my favorite photographer, you got balls.”

_And healing skills, together with strength and speed._

“But you’ve been playing with fire for years. You really wouldn’t like to keep it low a bit? You don’t like art? I heard they made wonders at the new sh-”

“You’re worried about me,” Theo chuckled, as he took another picture of the crowd. A mom was opening her arms wide as her kid threw himself into her arms, a loud squee of happiness.

“You know Fifi is in Naples, right now?” he tried again, getting Theo’s attention, as he took the camera off after a casual shot. He kept on clicking, almost without thinking about it.

“Bien sûr,” he replied. “She wrote me the moment she knew I was headed for Rome, she’s with her husband and newborn.”

“See, she stopped trying to get shot. Why can’t you do the same? It’s not like she’s stopped working-”

“I know, she’s still your favorite reporter, she just doesn’t report war anymore,” he said, repeating words he often heard from him. “I’m the airport.”

The man groaned against the speaker. “I guess nothing can stop _you_ ,” he commented. “Okay, I’ll be in Paris too next week. I’ll see you there?”

“Sure.”

The dial went off, the earphone still in his ear. He lowered the camera, checking the pictures quickly. They were anything but good photos. He kept switching them, then his heart froze. He pushed the back button right away.

_It can’t be._

In the crowd, there were a small group of people. But he didn’t care about most of them, even if he had recognized each one.

_Liam._

His head darted up, as he looked around, trying to catch a familiar scent. There were too many smells in the airport, and even if he concentrated, the group seemed gone. He fixed his bag on the shoulder taking a step towards the exit doors, and dashing outside. A couple of taxis had already left, as he puffed air out.

“What the fuck I was thinking?” he mumbled, shaking his head. Even if it were Liam, what was he going to do? Greet him, say hello to Stiles or Malia that had never forgiven him?

 _I’m just seeing things._ He looked at the camera’s screen again, zooming on Liam’s face.

Theo turned to doors, moistening his lips.

_Why the hell am I at the arrivals?_

“Liam?”

He was staring at the sliding doors. _It couldn’t have really been his scent_.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Liam shook his head. “Nothing,” he repeated, glancing at Lydia as she stopped a taxi, waving her hand. “I must be tired for the trip.”

When they had walked towards the exit, Liam had been sure to have felt Theo’s scent. It was a brief moment, and he had forced himself not to scan the whole place, smelling the air as a stupid dog. _For what for, anyway? If we’d ever met it’d be just awkward. He freaking left with a text._

“It’s okay,” Scott chimed in. “We can rest at the hotel as the girls get their shopping going.”

Liam stretched a tired smile, as looked at Lydia and Stiles bickering in a low and amused voice as Malia opened the car door to a resigned Scott. 

“Sure,” Liam said, as he jumped on the car on the front seat of the second taxi, closing it.

_I’m just seeing things._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the nice comments! Happy you like this...thing (?).


	4. Missed call

Liam stared outside the window, his arms crossed on the chest. _I have imagined his scent. But why?_

He heaved a sigh and then jumped, when someone cleared his throat. Mason was standing at the door of the hotel room, his arms crossed. “So, you’re up to get out and have some fun?” he smirked, throwing a jacket to him. “Come on, Liam. It’s time you put that pout away.”

Liam smiled and put the jacket on, nodding with a sigh. “Why not-”

Mason winked. “It’s been a while.”

Liam’s arms almost fell on the ground. “Please don’t.”

“What? I’m the perfect wingman,” Mason scoffed.

“I’ll admit you’re not bad,” Liam agreed. “But do I have to remind you that we’re here with Scott and Stiles?”

His best friend groaned. “Worst wingmen ever.”

“Stiles keeps making weird gestures, and Scott looks worriedly at me and resigned to Stiles.”

“They helped you score once, though.”

“That was Lydia,” Liam corrected him, as he put the jacket on.

“Oh, right,” Mason nodded, as he waved his hand to the others in the hall. “So no hook up tonight?”

“No hook up tonight,” Liam replied, his hands slipping in the pockets. “I guess I’ll be the only one not having sex tonight.” _Which is not exactly a brand new thing._

Mason slowed down and stopped, as he made a gesture to let the others go first.

“Mas-“

“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” he asked. “You’ve been strange since we left the airport.”

“It’s-“

“Liam.”

“No, really.”

“Liam.”

“Are you going to keep repeating my name until I answer you?”

“I can switch to something else.”

“Really?”

“No,” he threatened, arching his brow.

“Intense.”

Mason smiled trying not to give in. He sighed and shook his head. “What’s wrong, dude?” he asked again, this time with a soft voice.

“I had an olfactory hallucination,” he sighed, shrugging his arms, his fists pushing against the cloth. They started walking again, as Liam felt Mason’s gaze on him.

“I guess about someone,” Mason said slowly. “In particular someone that left, no reason given – or at least no reason you ever told us.”

“Me?” he scoffed. “Why should I know anything you don’t?”

“So, _it is_ about Theo,” Mason said, noticing Liam’s shoulder stiffing as if he had been caught doing something wrong. He frowned as they reached the entrance of the hotel, and they stopped, waiting for the cab.

“No, it’s not,” Liam said dryly. “Nothing’s ever been about Theo. We’ve never really been friends. He was never pack, he was an enemy turned in ally, like many others with Scott.”

“He does have the tendency to befriend people who tried – and in this case succeeded – to kill him but…. Liam, you sound a little too pissed for someone who didn’t want an explanation.”

“Theo was free to leave without any explanation. The hunters were gone. We were going to college… Listen, it doesn’t make sense to talk about this,” he replied. “We’ve been over this over and over again and-“

“..and you never told me the truth,” Mason interrupted, opening the door of the taxi. He gave the driver indication and then turned to his best friend. “What the hell happened?”

“Nothing,” Liam sighed, and looked at him, honestly, as Mason closed the car door. “Nothing happened, Mason.”

“Except you starting to question your sexuality,” he sighed, and studied him.

“It wasn’t for him that…”

“Liam.”

“Oh, please-“

“Liam.”

“Ok, fine,” he blurted. “I started to question my sexuality because of Theo, happy now?”

“Not very much,” Mason said, as Liam’s gaze wandered on the streets outside the car. Mason wondered if Liam knew he was studying the walkway as if he expected – or wished – for something to appear out of thin air. “I’ve never asked anything, and I think I was wrong. Especially not telling you to reply to that text.”

“What? What was I supposed to reply ‘thanks for nothing, good fucking luck too?’”

“’You fucker get your ass back here’ could have worked just fine,” he shrugged.

Liam chuckled honestly. “Really? And for what?” he scoffed and shook his head. “We’re talking about Theo, Trusting that he won’t kill you is a thing,” he continued. “Building a relationship with? Not so much. It’s better this way.”

“And yet you have hallucinations about him,” Mason frowned. Liam’s eyes parted from the car window to his friend. “It’s been years, and he still pops up in your mind, isn’t maybe the case to _do_ something about it?”

“Even if I wanted,” Liam replied. “How? It’s not like he has Facebook, or Whatsapp, or Twitter.”

“Freaking Chimera, but still…”

“It wasn’t supposed to happen, so it didn’t,” Liam just said. “Listen, if I find another sign of the destiny that I’d be supposed to try to reach the guy who tried to manipulate me into killing one of my best friends, I will.”

“Liam,” Mason cleared his throat.

“ _What_  now?”

He leaned a bit, whispering into his eyes. “We freaked out the driver.”

***

Those were memories Liam was determined not to relive in his mind. Ever. Because every time he did, he felt a burning feeling on the back of his mind. The one that reminded him how stupid and naïve he had been.

He had a crush on Theo at the time. It was a fling and it was over. Period. _It wasn’t even a crush. I was just attracted to him._

Liam smiled as Lydia fixed her new shirt, winking at Stiles as he almost fell from the chair. _He still loves her like the first day._

He frowned as he felt a sting of longing. _No. No freaking way._

“Your beta is broken again,” Malia commented pointing at Liam with her glass of beer. Scott chuckled, shaking his head.

“Maybe he’s the one thinking about men.”

Liam grumbled something unintelligible, as he stretched back on the seat. “We have the train soon tomorrow morning,” he commented.

“I hope this sentence doesn’t end with ‘early’.”

Liam rose and eyebrow and then shook his head. “It wasn’t,” Liam commented. “I just wanted to change subject.”

Malia blinked. “From men or being broken?”

“Malia,” Scott sighed as she grinned a bit, mouthing a ‘what’.

“Maybe both,” Stiles shrugged.

“There is something you want to tell us?” Lydia chimed in, fluttering eyelashes.

“Yes,” Liam said emphatically. “That I regret agreeing to this trip.”

“Come on, we were kidding,” Malia winked at him. “You look so pensive, shake it off. This is the best time of your life, isn’t it? So stop fussing and have fun.”

Liam looked at the colored drink in his glass and then puffed air out. He made a cute frown. “You know what, it is,” he rose his glass. “To this trip, even if I hate you all.”

Mason cleared his throat.

“Except you.”

Scott arched his brow.

“And you.”

Stiles widened his arms.

“No, you I hate.”

“Ungrateful little-,” he grumbled, crossing arms as the rest of the group laughed.

“Come on, I can’t wait to go dancing in a place where I can easily pretend I don’t know Stiles,” Lydia said, standing up and winking.

“Still not very supporting.”

“It is supporting.”

***

“Hai una sigaretta?”

Liam blinked and looked at the guy, shaking his head.

“I don’t speak Italian,” he replied, a bit shyly. The young man smiled, taking a packet of cigarette out of his pocket.

“Yeah, I figured,” he replied. “I was asking if you had a cigarette.”

Liam arched a brow and then glanced at the packet.

“Well, I’d have offered if you hadn’t,” he grinned and put a cigarette between his lips.

_Smooth._

“Oh, well, thanks, I guess,” he took the cigarette and let him lit him, as he leaned against the wall. It was already late in the night – or very early in the morning. The others were still dancing inside.

“Let me guess,” the guy said. “You’re the only single in a group of couples.”

Liam frowned, closing one eyes as he looked at him. “How’d you know?”

“You’re here.”

Liam blushed a bit. “I wasn’t to-I mean, I’m not-“

“I meant you looked like someone who needs a break from couples,” he said and then stretched an hand. “Dario.”

“Nice to meet you, Dario, I’m Liam.” Liam replied a bit shily.

Dario put a cigarette between his lips, as their corner lifted up. “Can I give you a piece of advice?”

“…huh?”

“You were staring at the phone.”

“…I was,” he admitted. “What about it?”

“Are you drunk?”

“No…?”

“Then,” he inhaled smoke. “Do it,” he winked, and then rose an hand to a girl who was calling him. Liam blinked, the cigarette still in his hand as ‘Dario’ smiled at him and then went to the girl, passing an arm around her waist.

_What the hell was that?_

Liam unblocked his phone, and Theo’s name flashed again on the screen.

 

04:01

 

Theo was sitting on a bed in the Hotel room, unable to sleep. He had missed the flight. _What the hell I’m doing._ Right in front of him, on the screen his laptop there was the photo he had taken that morning. _It’s really him._ His eyes darted to his phone.

 

Liam held his breath as he pressed his thumb against the green call icon.

 

Theo’s eyes shifted to the laptop again. _As if._

 

“The number you have dialed does not exist.”

Liam sighed and stared lifelessly at his phone, closing it and leaning with his back against the wall.

“Predictably,” he mumbled, putting the phone back in the pocket.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for all the nice comments! :)


	5. Proof of existence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was all it was left of his past life. The very last evidence that “Theo” had ever existed. And it was gone forever.

Afghanistan, Kabul (2017)

Theo wished he knew the language that boy was crying in. He couldn’t have been more than seventeen. His hand reached the one twisting in his hair, soaked in blood. It was sticky. “I got you,” he said, but the child didn’t seem to care.

_Of course not._

His eyes shifted to the abdomen. It was sliced open, and he didn’t need his smelling to know the situation was bad. Theo licked his lips, his camera dangling on a side.

The boy’s muscles stopped their spams as Theo’s veins changed colour. Like a black venom climbing towards his heart, pain slipped from the boy to him. “Name?” Theo tried, as he felt Josephine’s steps behind him.

He replied something almost inaudible. Too low even for his chimera’s hearing, between all those shouts. Theo pretended he had heard.

“Theo,” he replied. It was the last time he had introduced himself with his actual name. But the boy was dying, there was no reason to lie. Soon, the boy’s grip on his hand loosened. He nodded and closed his eyes as he slowly fell into a sleep he’d never wake up from.

But as his mouth shut forever, someone yelled in desperation at his place. Theo stood up, leaving the boy’s side as a woman, surely his mother, threw herself towards him. Josephine firm hands pulled him back, dragging him away, as his eyes fixed on the woman.

_It was easier when I didn’t care._

“Come, Teddy,” Josephine said gently, his nickname pronounced in a thick French accent. “That pain you can’t take.”

_I know. Emotional pain is the one that lasts. I suggested it once._

“I need to take some pictures,” Theo said, switching the camera on.

“Okay. I’ll get to the spokesperson and then call Grant.”

Theo nodded slowly, and hid his expression behind the camera to face what was around them. Part of him wasn’t sure if what he was doing was evil or good. If he was exploiting these people’s pain, as he did in the past, or if telling their story was doing them justice. _I’ll guess I’ll find out the day I die._

Half an hour later, Theo walked away from the scene, reaching Josephine not far from the site attacked. She was sitting on the curb, writing quickly on her phone. Theo knew she was writing the piece of what happened directly to their editor. Notebooks were too slow for her.

When Theo reached her, Josephine rose her eyes to him. Her face and body were covered up with cinder and dried blood. Theo didn’t need a mirror that he was looking the same.

Her eyes, as always, were a peculiar shade of deep brown, warm and somehow fierce.

“If we weren’t werewolves we’d probably be dead,” Josephine said, putting away her phone as she put her shabby backpack on the ground, starting to digging through it. “Call Grant, he says he tried to get a hold of you, so he freaked out,” she said, finally picking the packet of cigarette from the mess.

Theo frowned as he put his bag down. “Fuck,” he snapped, glancing at it. There was a hole. “My backpack got shot.”

He rummaged in, a line appearing between his brows. “No, the satphone is okay, I’ve just didn’t hear it r-” his voice was sucked back into his lungs. Then it was pushed again out of his lips with a puff. “This isn’t though.”

Josephine titled her head as she glanced at the phone he was holding. “Oh, _merde_ ,” she snapped, looking at the wreck that was his old phone. “Well, wasn’t it like…super-old?” she asked, handing him a cigarette as Theo let the old phone fell on the ground. It had a hole through it.

“It was”, he admitted.

“And you never use it,” she frowned.

“It was my American number,” he explained.

Josephine studied him carefully as she inhaled smoke three times, before she decided to keep talking.

“Have you been waiting for a call?”

_Or to make one._

Theo nodded, glancing at the wreck of the device.

“You can get your number back.”

Theo shook his head. “But the data is gone, anyway,” _And I highly doubt Liam would call me._ “I’d have to go back in the States, and haven’t been there since I left, plus…” he took it back on his hands, rubbing his fingers thumb on the hole. “I don’t have my ID anymore. This number was the last proof that there was a guy called Theo Raeken.”

There it was. A practically blown up old smartphone. It was all it was left of his past life. The very last evidence that “Theo” had ever existed. And it was gone forever.

Every link he had with his old life had been severed.

“Amen,” he said throwing it in the debris of an exploded place that just been evacuated. “Probably better this way.”

“ _Mince_ , Teddy, you do hate that guy,” she sighed, handing him her cigarette.

Theo blinked, confusedly. “Who are you talking about?”

“This Theo guy,” she tried to smile. “You hate his guts, do you?”

Theo stayed silent and inhaled smoke, and that was all the answer that his friend needed.

“That’s probably why we can’t stop,” she said. “Being through this over and over again. I guess all war reporters hate themselves to a certain degree, or wouldn’t put their life at risk every time.”

“Maybe someone really cares about people and their suffering. Ruining fancy dinners trying to get people see outside their own country yard,” he tried, taking a puff of smoke. “Maybe they love truth more than hate themselves.”

“You are one of them?”

“I pretend to be a Canadian citizen and you’re my only friend, Fifi.”

“You hate yourself a big deal,” she laughed, but her laugh died right away, as guilt hit her stomach in the form of a dead woman carried away. Josephine cleared his throat.

“I still have to send pics,” Theo announced, taking his camera.

“Yeah,” Josephine agreed, standing up and helping him out. “And I need to shower, let’s go back.”

Theo nodded and searched one last time for the woman with the boy. They had probably already taken the body away. Theo wondered were his phone had finished. _It wouldn’t change a thing._

Now

“I still don’t understand where you are right now,” Josephine commented, glancing at the screen of her laptop on the desk. She didn’t know the guys in the picture, but she could recognize ‘the one’. Theo had shown her the first picture he had ever taken.

“Still in Milan,” Theo admitted, checking out of the room. “I lost the plane, yesterday.”

“You lost it, or did you let it leave without you?” she said, her voice soft as she moved through the room of the rented flat. Her baby was born one month before, but she decided not to take the maternity leave, choosing to work as a correspondent. Easy stuff.

“I’m not sure,” Theo admitted, stretching a little smile to the receptionist, as he fixed his bag. “For some reason, I was at the arrivals.”

Josephine walked quietly into her room, sitting down and looking at her sleeping baby. She was relaxed, and had never seen any wrong in her life.

“You’re looking at my niece?” Theo smiled, as his feet moved on the walkway. “Little Thea?”

“I’d never call my child with such a horrendous name,” Josephine snorted as she lowered her voice.

“Well… You kind of did,” he said.

“She’s called Therese, and I thought you weren’t Theo anymore,” she pointed out.  “You’ve been with us just for her birth, very lame for an uncle.”

Theo didn’t reply, but just sighed.

“Listen, come here,” she blurted. “Take the first train and move ton derrière, Teddy. Don’t go anywhere I can’t watch your back.”

Theo pressed his lips inward together, as he looked at the road. He could have done that. All he had to do was raise his hand and call a taxi. Go to the central station.

“S’il te plaît, uh? Pour moi,” Josephine whispered.”Consider this an sign that you have to stop, for a little while longer at least. You don’t need to go there,” she sighed. “Ça suffit.”

“D’accord,” he rose his hand, as a he saw a taxi approaching. The car slowed down until it reached the spot before him. “I’ll call you, Fifi.”

He closed the call and jumped in the car.

“Dove andiamo?”

_Yeah, Theo, where to?_

It was stupid. He would never find Liam again. And even if he could, what he was going to say? Nothing had changed since then. _We were nothing. Always have been. What’s different now?_

“Stazione centrale, grazie,” he said in a broken Italian pronunciation, leaning against the seat back with a puff. Theo glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

11.40

It was the same number that flashed in Liam’s phone when he checked it.

The train was quite crowded. Liam was sitting with Mason, Malia and Corey, staring outside the window. Liam puffed air out, went to the numbers in his phone and scrolled down until he reached the “T”. He glared for a moment at the name, then deleted it before he could get to it.

He had always thought it’d feel liberating.

It didn’t.

He closed his eyes a moment. When he opened them again, Mason was looking at him with a question mark all over his face.

_Let it go._

 

***

Josephine wasn’t at all convinced about letting go. To be honest, she was convinced about the very opposite. She was sitting on the bed, holding Therese in an arm as she breastfed her. Right in front of her, her tablet.

“D’accord…” she mumbled.

The front door opened and closed, as her husband announced her entrance. “Love, I…” he stopped as he walked in the room, blinking, his coat still on. “I…see you’re on your investigative mode,” he said, taking the scarf off. “What’s on? Should I worry or is it safe?”

“It’s about Teddy, Jack,” she said.

“So _he_ should worry,” he commented, caressing Therese’s head.

“You remember about that Liam guy?”

He nodded slowly. “First-picture-blue-eyed-cute-angry-wolf Liam, yes.”

“He’s somewhere in Italy for some reason, and I will find out why and where.”

“Facebook gives you anything?”

“Closed profile. Instagram doesn’t help either, but…” she mumbled. “Every private person has a social friend so…” She clicked on the pictures Liam was tagged in. “There we are,” she beamed. “Oh… _uh-oh_.”

The baby pulled her mouth away from her nipple, and his father took her in his arms, bringing her to his shoulder, as he patted her back gently.

“What?”

“Regarde,” she said, pointing to a picture on Instagram. A group of friends were together in a pub. “They were celebrating his research project.”

“About what?”

Josephine grinned. “Pompei.”

Jack chuckled and shook his head, with a sigh. “What do you want to do? I didn’t think you were going to play cupid.”

“It’s not about getting with this guy,” Josephine said, fixing her bra and shirt. “It’s about facing his past. He needs to sort it out, however it ends. Then he can have a future, with or without the pretty boy here.”

“Does he know what you’re doing?”

“Not yet, but he will,” she said, standing up and stealing a kiss from her husband’s lips. “Trust me.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thanks to everyone.  
> I promise they're going to meet, hold on!


	6. Scott 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In hell, it was like his sister’s heart – a heart that had always failed him – had finally started to work. The last punishment. After all he had done, there was no room for nice feelings.

Mason closed his phone the moment Liam moved closer, his hands in his pockets. Liam arched his brow, even if Mason was looking calmly at him. He didn’t look like he was hiding something, but Liam was sure he had heard his heart skip a beat.

_I don’t really want to know._

“So, we’re ready?” Lydia said, as a man who was staring at her jumped at Malia’s glare. Stiles, who was fairly convinced that it was his glare that had the man running, turned to Scott.

“Ready, we should get a cab to the hotel, and-”

“And then pizza,” Stiles said emphatically.

“And then pizza,” Scott agreed.

“And then pizza,” sighed Lydia, but smiled, taking Malia’s arm and leaning her head against her shoulder.

“I have a proposal,” Mason shrugged, and Corey flashed him a funny smile. The kind of _I-see-right-through-you_ he always did when he understood Mason had something in his mind. And Corey always loved when Mason had something on his mind. Liam frowned harder. He always _feared_ when Mason had something on his mind.

_I’m not sure I still prefer not knowing._

“One of the most famous pizzerias opened a restaurant by the shore,” he explained, showing it on his phone. “We could then take a good walk.”

“Good idea,” Corey agreed.

_I’m fairly sure I should know._

“Let’s go then,” Stiles patted Liam’s shoulder.

Liam frowned and looked at Mason, who simply shrugged innocently.

“I’m starting to think I should worry about something,” Liam told him, as Malia dragged Lydia with her by the hand.

“Why should you?”

“I don’t know,” he snorted. “Somehow I feel in danger.”

 

***

Then.

 

“What do you mean no one is in danger?” Theo asked, incredulous.

“What should it mean?” Liam asked back, exchanging a glance and a shrug with Mason.

Theo’s left brow reached his hairline. _Not what I meant._ “Ok,” he sighed. “Let’s try again. What am I doing here if there is no one in danger?” he asked, widening his arms to point at Liam’s room.

“Playing videogames…?”

“ _What_?”

Liam puffed air out. “Why do you need to make it so complicated, Theo? We figured it might be time to do… some normal stuff. We had a couple of hunters arrested just last week, so…”

Theo’s hands stopped on his own hips. _We don’t do this. We don’t do normal._ “So…?”

“So, when was the last time you did something for no reason at all? Like, actual normal stuff.”

Theo shrugged, his hands slipping in his pockets. He didn’t want to reply that he didn’t remember when it had been. “I don’t need-”

“Yeah, yeah, but with the hunters are still around and so you’re stuck here in Beacon Hills, so…” Liam shrugged. “We could try to remember we’re teenagers in the meantime.”

Theo tilted his head, and Liam shrugged again with an almost guilty expression. He sighed and his shoulders sagged.

“Come on, Dude,” Mason said, patting his shoulder. “Stop making it a big deal and relax. I’ll go make a couple of sandwiches. Help me, Core.”

Mason and Corey disappeared as they moved out the room. Theo turned to Liam, and crossed his arms. “I don’t need to be pitied, I can be alone, Liam,” he replied.

“But you don’t have to,” he just said. “Relax, we also called Nolan, so you’re not the only one who tried to kill us.”

Theo blinked and looked at him, incredulous. “Scott 101?” he asked, scoffing.

“Scott 101,” Liam agreed. “You took the class. You took the pain of a boy who had shot you like one minute before.”

A single nod. “Okay, then,” he puffed air out. “What are we playing?”

Liam smiled.

***

Now.

 

Josephine was holding Therese, as they walked side by side in the afternoon. The sun was shining over the ever crowded road by the sea.

“So, what you intend to do?”

Theo pulled his eyes away from the sea, looking back at Josephine. “I have no idea,” he shrugged.

“What was the proposal? For the job,” she asked, fixing the hat on Therese’s head.

“A series of events host by their hotels, here in the region,” Theo explained.

“You turned it down?”

“I have yet 24 hours to reply,” Theo sniffed. “I wanted to turn it down, but I still haven’t.”

“Stay here,” Josephine pleaded with a sigh. “There is always going to be a war in this world, Teddy. Always. You don’t need to be in every single one.”

Theo looked forward with a sigh. “It wouldn’t really change much.”

“Maybe not, or maybe you may find some reason to start having your own life.”

 _I can’t. I don’t own a ‘own’ heart to begin with._ Theo took his camera up and started to check the last pictures.

“What’s wrong, Teddy?” Josephine said, as Therese stretched her puffy hands towards Theo.

“Why don’t you take a…decision, something that is more than just witnessing other people’s life?”

“Isn’t that our job?” he asked, playing with the baby’s hand. “To witness?”

“Our job is not our whole life.”

“I don’t have a husband.”

“I didn’t start living when I found Jack, I found Jack when I started living, because I was finally ready to have a life,” she sniffed. “And I want that for my best friend. You don’t have to get married and have kids to be happy, but… just give yourself a chance to do something for yourself. Stop a bit, watch movies, _really_ met some people, learn a new language.”

“Le français n’est pas suffisant?”

“Non,” she replied, with a little smile. “What was the last time you took a decision for yourself, _Theo_?”

“Last time I did I ended up in hell,” he snorted and took Therese in his arms as Josephine glared at him, crossing her arms. Theo shook his head and kept walking, as Josephine followed with a little dash.

“It’s been years,” she said. “You’re not the same person.”

 _You don’t have to stop._ He recalled what he felt in that moment. The umpteenth time his sister took her heart back. Or when Malia punched him. _You don’t have to stop._ And he didn’t have the right to.

In hell, it was like his sister’s heart – a heart that had always failed him – had finally started to work. The last punishment. After all he had done, there was no room for nice feelings.

A horror he very well deserved.

“I’m going, Fifi,” he said. “That’s final.”

***

“Fuck,” he said, nervously, his hand pressed on the bleeding wound. His heart was exploding in his ears. “Fuck it.”

Black blood was dripping on his fingers, and Theo couldn’t stop it.

“You’re a fucking moron,” Theo gasped, as Deaton, behind them, was moving quickly. For Theo, it wasn’t quick enough.

“That’s not something you say to someone who just got a bullet for you,” Liam growled, groaning.

“That’s _exactly_ the thing to say,” Theo snapped back, his voice tight. “Your fucking Alpha will be on my ass if you die, Liam.”

Liam puffed hair out, falling with his back against the table. _No._ “Stay awake,” Theo ordered, glancing at Deaton. He was about to go to him and shook him to move, when Liam’s hand grabbed his wrist. In that moment, he looked like the young boy he was.

_No. You don’t get to die because of me._

Theo sat back, his heart pounding painfully in his throat.

_Please. Don’t die._

“Stay awake,” he repeated. Liam nodded and grimaced, in pain.

Theo’s heart skipped a beat. He had done it once. He could do it again.

He took a deep breath and he put one hand over the bullet wound and one on Liam’s arms. Their eyes locked. Another breath in. Breath out. Inhale. Exhale. Pain started flowing from Liam’s body in his veins, as a cold liquid slipping under his skin. Liam puffed air out. “Better?”

Liam nodded a couple of times, his eyes into his.

“I won’t have the reputation of someone who takes pain from the dying, Dunbar, that’d be lame,” he roared. “So keep those eyes open and live.”

Liam scoffed, and looked at him as he felt a strange flutter in his belly. And it had nothing to do with the bullet. Somehow, it felt as if they were looking at each other for the first time.

“Ready,” Deaton announced. “Keep him still,” he ordered Theo, who grabbed Liam, bringing him tight against his chest as Deaton sprawled a moisture on Liam’s stomach, making him roar loud.

 _It’s all my fault._ After a couple of minutes, Liam was shivering slightly in his arms, panting.

“You’re going to be okay,” Deaton said.

Theo felt Liam trying to move in his arms, and he dragged him abruptly back.

“Where the hell you think you’re going?” he rumbled, holding him close.

“I need to help Scott-the hunters,” Liam tried to say, panting. “He-”

“I’ll go,” Theo replied. “You’ve done enough bullshit today.”

“I _saved_ you!” Liam snapped, incredulous.

“NO ONE ASKED YOU TO!”

Liam looked at him, frozen still with his eyes wide. “What the…” he said, trying to get up.

“Stay here,” he spat, forcing him back down. “I said I’ll go.”

“I’m not a kid!” Liam replied, pushing him back, even if weakly. Before they knew, they were grabbing each other’s shirt. Their eyes were burning between rage and something neither of them had the courage to figure it out. Theo could hear Liam’s heartbeat. His warmth, and his breath, so close.

For a moment, he was sure Liam’s eyes had gazed at his lips.

“You could have died,” Theo hissed, trying to drag him back on the bed. “Sit the fuck down and rest.”

Deaton cleared his throat. “Boys,” the veterinary said. “Calm down. And…”

Liam’s phone rang. Theo found himself panting with his heart beating like mad. He gulped down air, trying to relax as Liam replied immediately.

“I’m fine,” he said at the phone. “Where are you, what…”

Liam’s blue eyes moved to Theo, as he let a relieved sighs go. “Really? We’re… coming right now,” he continued. “Yeah, no, I promise we’re fine. It’s…it’s really great.”

 It seemed forever before Liam put the phone down. His blue eyes moved to Theo, then to Deaton.

“It’s over,” he said. “They got Monroe. Scott’s dad…the FBI got her.”

Theo’s heart skipped a beat.

“The hunters…is it over?”

Liam nodded slowly. “The worst, at least. There will always be people that hates people like us, but…”

“The head of the snake’s gone,” Theo said, and then nodded. “Good.”

“It’s great news,” said Deaton. “Liam, go to Scott and tell everyone to get back here. I’ll get everything ready.”

Then the doctor disappeared in the other room.

“Let’s go,” Liam said trying to grab Theo’s arm to drag him.

Theo yanked his arm back, his heart clenching painfully. _You could have died._

“Theo, come on. Scott is waiting-”

“For you,” he cut short. “Not me. I’m not pack, as you once told me-”

“Why are you behaving like this? I thought…” _I thought we were friends._ “Just, let’s go.”

“I…” he took a step back. _I’m good for times of war. Not for peace._ “Okay, let’s go,” he said, in the end.

Liam felt he could breath again. “Good.”

Theo turned and marched outside, moving for the truck. Liam sped his pace, looking at his back with a tension he couldn’t put a finger on.

The doors of the truck closed at the same time, and Theo let a sigh go before he jump started the car. Liam heaved a sigh and frowned, looking at him.

_Tell him something. Anything._

Liam opened his lips to speak, and then closed them again.

The car roared and not a single word was said. Not that night. Not ever.

A couple of days after, Theo sent his first and last text.

 

***

Now.

 

Josephine took Therese back in her arms, looking sadly to Theo. “Why?” she said. “It’s only a month. Would it be that terrible, to just…a month? We could work together like old times, you know, there is going to be G7 in a couple of weeks, and-”

“And nothing, Fifi,” his hands slipped in his pockets. “And I don’t get what’s the problem now. I’ve been doing this job for years…” his voice faltered as some wind brought a well known scent to him. _It’s not possible._

Theo turned slowly, blinking incredulous. Liam was just a few feet from him, looking at him with the same surprise lying over Theo’s face.

Both of them had changed. They weren’t boys anymore. Standing in front of him there was a young man.

For a long moment, the world stopped.

 _It’s really you._ It was way different from the picture he had taken. It was Liam. Flesh and blood.

“Liam.”

Theo barely recognized his own voice.

A pair of blue eyes moved into his, and a flash of pure fiery anger colored their expression.

“Theo.”


	7. Anger issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo felt he had spent years, looking at Liam’s back – to stab and to watch over it.  
> But his eyes were something he had never really learned to face.

“What were you thinking?” Liam snapped, as he dragged Mason away, his voice a low growl. “How did this happen? This is what you didn’t want to tell me before, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, and…Liam, I don’t want you to make that face ever again,” he said, not even flinching. “You’re my best mate, and you need to tell him what you think. But I didn’t start it, how could I?”

Liam let him go, realizing that Mason was right. He hadn’t known how to contact Theo, how could Mason have contacted one of his friends? – or assume Theo had one in first place.  The object of the discussion was looking at the young woman, now talking to Scott as the baby in her arms stretched to Malia.

“She contacted me,” he said.

“Why?” Liam frowned, looking at Mason. “How did she know about us coming?”

“She told me she found us on Instagram,” his best friend replied. Liam nodded, but he wasn’t convinced by it. Why did she look for them? How did she now in first place they existed?

“I guess Theo told her,” Mason broke through his thoughts.

_This makes even less sense._

“It sounds fishy,” he said, frowning and looking at them.

“Fishy? Well, I’d say more _stalkerish_ ,” Mason said.

“It’s Theo, Mason,” he snapped. “With him stalker means manipulation and murder.”

Mason curved his brow in two perfect arches, a bit surprised. “Yeah, that happened… an actual life, death and resurrection ago,” a line appeared between his brows. “I mean, one can always fall in old ways, but-”

Liam wasn’t even hearing him.

“Liam,” Mason grabbed his shoulder and shook him a bit. Liam’s blue eyes turned to his own, focusing. “This is your chance to make it right. He pissed you off, right?”

A single nod was his only reply.

“You’re angry because you were letting him in _your_ pack and he rejected it.”

“I didn’t-”

Mason arched a brow.

“He saved my life,” he explained himself, as if he needed to excuse himself. “That’s why I tried to be nice.”

“No,” Mason sighed. “You lent an hand and he repaid you with his back and a lame text,” Mason said. “That’s why you’re angry.”

Liam frowned hard and looked at him.

_I think I’ve managed to make him even angrier._

“You know what?” asked, his voice tight.

“No, what?”

For a moment, Mason thought he’d never know ‘what’, as Liam marched towards Theo. Then he saw Liam, bend back his arm with his hand fisted and hit Theo square in his jaw.

“Oh, that’s _what_ ,” Mason said, as he rushed back to the others. Stiles had his fists up in victory while Lydia had pressed her hand on his mouth with a resigned expression. Theo was on his ass, massaging his bruised chin.

“All these years,” he snorted. “And you’re _still_ working on your anger?”

Liam blinked staring at him, incredulous.

“I decided I give up on managing it every time I see you,” he replied, shaking his hand. He had hit him so hard to hurt himself.

Theo looked at him, arching a brow as he stood up, brushing the dust from his jeans. Liam’s heart plunged in his stomach. That guy wasn’t Theo. It couldn’t be. The height was the same, and overall his face was identical. But he was a man, not a boy. He had short hair and a light beard. He had always been muscular, but now he was manly. His arms looked like a safe place to land.

Liam’s mouth dried for a moment, as his stomach lit on fire.

“I didn’t even know you would be here,” Theo puffed air out. Liam’s eyes became as narrow as they could be without closing.

“I’m the mastermind behind this,” Josephine chimed in. “And I’m not his wife, and she’s not his daughter.”

“Thank God,” Stiles said, as Lydia let him go with a relieved sigh.

“Who are you then?” Malia asked, tilting her head, as she stared at the baby.

Josephine’s eyes flashed red. “His alpha,” she replied, and then smiled as her eyes went to the usual color.

Liam froze and then turned, whipping his head to her. _Alpha._ He looked back at Theo, slowly. _You found a pack. You wanted a pack._

“Four,” he growled.

“W-”

This time, his punch found immediately Theo’s nose. “Four times,” he growled as Theo fell again on his butt.

Theo scoffed, checking his bleeding nose. “Yeah, okay,” he sighed. “You happy?”

“Well, who wants a coffee?” Josephine chimed in, as Theo stood up again, looking incredulous at her.

“This is you being _my_ Alpha?” he snapped.

“Shut up, you deserved it and you know it,” she replied and held Therese better, as she turned to Scott. “So, coffee? I’m curious to get to know you.”

Scott and the rest of the pack exchanged glances.

“I have pastries,” she added, winking, and smiled again even if Theo was looking at her with an accusatory expression.

Stiles nodded, with a huge smile on his lips. “That’s the most beautiful day of my life,” he sighed happily. Lydia rolled her eyes, shaking slightly her head.

“I got Italian pizza and Theo got punched twice in the face. And now Italian pastry. This day couldn’t get any better.”

Theo turned to Stiles with a grimace. “I don’t know, you want to punch me too?” he asked, ironically.

“Can I?”

“No,” he snorted.

“Come on,” Josephine said, handing Therese to Theo to hold. “Here, keep her, she’ll protect you and no one will dare to punch you again.”

“I’m being protected by a _newborn_?” Theo asked, blinking.

“I was wrong,” Stiles said, enthusiastically. “It just got better.”

 

***

 

“You feel better?” Theo asked, as he took the cups for the coffee. Liam had been mercilessly sent by Josephine to help him out, since “he had shocked her baby with violence” – Not that Therese seemed to mind.

Liam frowned and looked at the cups. “I still want to kick your ass,” he said, drily, and moved his eyes to him.

Theo poured the coffee, and licked his own lips, looking away. “So we’re back to normal,” he tried to joke. Liam looked at him, trying to hide the hurt.

“Whatever,” he scoffed, took the tray and turned his back to him.

Theo followed him with the corner of his eyes.

Theo had grown used to look at Liam, unseen. He studied each of his moves when he wanted to use him. The curved shoulders when he was tense, the squared posture when he tried to look bigger than he felt, the crunched one when Brett died. He knew everything about them since he tried to crush his soul, pushing him to hate Scott, hoping to turn Liam in the killer he was.

Theo remembered how it had felt, and it had felt good. He had felt as powerful as a god, the master of puppets, playing with anyone’s life as if they were dolls.

And like any self-proclaimed god, he had fallen.

When he had come back, he had been forced to follow Scott’s beta in chains. His eyes had stared  with anxiety at his hands, waiting for the moment he would send him back to his punishment.

Then the sword broke into pieces, and he could breathe again. Problem was, he had no idea of what to do with that air that moved more freely in his lungs. Or with the heart that had ironically started feeling just then.

And again, Liam’s back. Always Liam’s back. When he had bravely faced the Ghost raider, and Theo had decided to follow him in the fight. When he had picked up the radio to tell Monroe she’d lost.

Theo felt he had spent years, looking at Liam’s back – to stab and to watch over it.

But his eyes were something he had never really learned to face.

“You’re both werewolves?” Lydia asked, trying not to laugh at the frown Malia had as she looked at the baby, who was staring at her with her big eyes. Stiles was on the other side, making weird faces. The baby turned to him, and put her little hand in her mouth.

Josephine smiled quietly, as she glanced at her husband, helping Liam and Theo with the coffee.

“Ouì,” she replied. “Jack is short for Giacomo, he’s an Apennine werewolf, quite a sexy one-”

He blushed and rolled his eyes. “You done?”

“What?” she protested, and held Therese to him. “It’s true. All Apennine wolves learn soon to make full shift, you know?” she added, proudly. “They did it in order to protect actual wolves that were in risk of extinction.”

Scott nodded, honestly curious, as they shared stories. Theo leaned against the wall, holding back a sigh. Josephine’s eyes looked at him, at Liam, now staring outside the window, and then back at Mason.

Mason took his cup and frowned at how small it was. Than he took a sip, and twisted his nose. “Mh, it’s really good.” Then he puffed air out, as if he were staring at a long staircase or a difficult task in front of him. Liam whipped his head towards him with a threatening glare.

_Don’t you dare._

“How do you know Theo?” Mason asked bravely.

Liam moved his eyes away with a snort, as his gaze fell on a picture in a frame. There was Theo with the woman they had just met. They were slightly younger – maybe four or five years before – sitting on a dusty place that seemed somewhere in the Middle East. Theo was looking in the camera, his face covered by dust, but his eyes as clear as he ever seen them. _Who the hell are you?_

“Turkey,” Josephine said, with a nostalgic smile.

“You were in Turkey?” Scott asked Theo, blinking. “Why?”

“Why not?” he just replied, pushing away the question.

Liam’s eyes laid on him, his lips pressed together.

“More how than why,” Malia asked, putting her face on her hand with a brow arched up. “I mean, how did you afford it?”

Theo had no intention to reply. “I’m resourceful,” he just said, brushing off the question.

Josephine made a quiet smile, and decided to change subject. “So, history, mh?” she asked, smiling.

“Ancient Rome,” Liam replied, his hands in his pockets.

“It’s your favorite?” Jack asked curiously.

“Not… mh, yes, yes, it is,” Liam lied.

“We could make a trip tomorrow, Theo could bring his camera and take some pictures, since he’s just given up going wherever he was going.”

“You know where I’m going.”

“I know where you’re not going,” she said, with a satisfied mile. Theo tried to reply, but she glared at him. “Right?”

“We’ll see,” he just replied. _I still have to call them. They won’t leave until next month. I can still go._

Liam frowned, looking at the two, unsure.

“So, cultural trip?” Josephine sung, tilting her head.

Theo sighed, hiding his face in his hands, as the others nodded.

“Perfect,” Josephine nodded looking at Therese with a big happy smile. “Our first trip, Therry!”

The kid looked confused at her mother, and Liam couldn’t really blame her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm profoundly sorry to be this late! I struggled a lot with this chapter and I've been working a lot. Thank you for your support! I really appreciate it. This is my first fanfiction in...long. Your support gives me courage to continue :)  
> To @aconiteum thanks for asking!! Well, the reason I chose Italy is really lazy and not-interesting... I'm Italian!


	8. Permission to laugh

It was such a beautiful view. The coast of Castellammare di Stabia was as beautiful as Liam had imagined while studying it. The sea calmly caressing the coast, as a soft breath of wind pushed his hair away from his blue eyes. 

 

 

It was all so-

“Where. The. Hell. Did. You. Learn. To. Drive,” Lydia panted, picking the  bridge of  her own nose between thumb and index, as she scrunched her face in a nauseated expression. Malia seemed completely at ease, looking at the baby as she stretched her little hand. 

“Why?”

“Malia, you remember the rule,” Lydia breathed in. “You’re not allowed to drive and to talk about other people’s driving.”

Malia shrugged and looked back at the kid, as Josephine blinked.  “Porquoi?”

“Sériousement? Tu me demandes pourquoi?” Lydia  retorted. 

“France,”  Malia sighed and shook her head. “You’re going to go there one day, Therese.”

“Well, she‘s half French,” Josephine replied, dismissing Lydia’s complaint and taking Josephine in her arms. “We’re all here, then,” she  hummed.

Theo glared at her, his arms crossed and the camera pending on his neck. “For real,” he mumbled.

“Shut up, Teddy,” she replied and looked around.  “So, first of all, we have breakfast, then we start the visit.”

“How is this called again?” Stiles asked, looking around.

“Castellammare di Stabia, we’ll visit the archeological sites here and then spend the night in a Hotel on the coast, ” Josephine replied . “It ’s got Spa.”

“All of  a  sudden I like you,” Lydia chimed in.

“Aaaaand… I’m sure you studied the excavations here…”

Liam blinked and looked at them. “Me? Well, of course, yes, but…”

“You’re the historian here,” she sung. “Share some knowledge with us poor mortals.”

Liam looked shyly around. That wasn’t something he was really used to. The good thing about being a historical researcher was that he dealt mostly with dead people, and didn’t have to  give many interviews. 

“Mh,” he looked at Mason, who smiled encouragingly. Liam’s only response was an arched brow.  _ Still not forgiven you. _

Mason mimicked his expression with the other brow.

_ You totally did. _

Liam grunted and shook his head before he finally resigned. “Okay,” he sighed.

Theo tried to keep a casual expression, even if many could have recognized a spark of interest in his eyes. If he had been in his full-on wolf form, he’d have  the tip of his ears up . 

Then his hand went for the camera. It wasn’t the first one he ever had, even if he still had it, stored together with much of his older stuff – not much to be honest. Once again, bumps and curves of the camera had his heart calm down a bit. Whatever was going to happen, he still could hide behind the camera. He had done it so many times, amidst war and blood that made whatever happened in Beacon Hills feel like a little thing.

Surely he could have done even with Liam.

 

 

***

Then

“You shouldn’t worry this much,” Theo said, tilting his head as Liam disappeared behind his book. 

“Are you kidding me?” Liam snorted, putting down the volume. “Finals, Theo. The fact that you gave up school-“

“Presumed dead here.”

“So is  _ everyone  _ in this city. Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not the first to come back from the dead,” he mumbled and made a lopsided grin. “Anyway, I…”

“Liam, you know about history more than the people who lived the times you’re obsessing about,” Theo sighed, checking the lens of the camera once again.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“ It’s not,” Theo said and put the camera down. “Come on, let’s go outside, eat something, take a break, and you’ll be back on studying in a blink of the eye.”

“I am hungry.”

Theo widened his arms in an ‘obviously’ gesture. 

“What are we getting?” Liam asked with a sigh, closing the book.  _ This is not a date, right?  _

“Tacos?” Theo proposed, slipping his hand in his pockets. Liam frowned a bit. 

_ How does he get money? How did he ever get money, all this time? _

Liam’s blue eyes rose to Theo’s face, who was quietly waiting for him. 

“Tacos,” Liam agreed. He stood up, aiming for his jacket when it started to ring. Or better yet, his phone started to ring inside it. The werewolf and the chimera exchanged worried gazes as Liam darted to the phone. 

It was Scott.

Theo’s serious expression focused on Liam as the young boy nodded three times and then gravely replied. “We’re coming.”

***

Now.

Lydia’s green eyes were fixed on Liam, as they talked about the ancient  mural. Theo had been taking steps back, rising his camera from now and then to take pictures of the place. 

A good angle. That was all he needed. A good angle to focus on what he was doing. To keep a few steps away from the pack that had never been his. 

“He’s really good,” Josephine smiled, as she sat down  on a bench to breastfeed Therry. Theo sighed and looked at her, taking down the camera. 

“I still don’t see why you did all of this,” Theo admitted, shaking his head and sitting next to her .

“Theo,” Josephine said a bit tiredly. “ I’m not playing cupid. I’m your friend, I want you to face your  past. Make peace with Theo. ”

“With Th-”

 

“Yes, with Theo. Take back  your  name and  your past, deal with it and go on. It’s not like I don’t want you on a war field,” he moistened his lips. “God knows we loved it. I want you to go on the field in peace knowing your life has a worth,” she concluded. “Face your past, Teddy. I’ll be there at the end for alcohol or ice cream, whatever you want ,” she added smiling. “And now I think I’ll take a cab to the hotel, you’re going to be okay?”

Theo nodded slowly, trying a smile, which anyway was honestly grateful.

“I guess so,” Theo replied with a sigh. “Even if you’re good at checking my back.”

Josephine winked. “It’s an honor,” then she turned to the others, after putting her bra up and patting Therese’s back. “Les gars,” she called everyone. “I’m going to put this little baby at rest and lay down a bit too. See you  at the hotel.”

Malia was the one to lean down to glance at the little girl, puffing her cheeks. 

“Okay,” Scott said, with his usual affectionate smile. “Thank you for everything,” he added. “Tell us if we can bring you something, if you need anything.”

Josephine winked and held Therese, smiling softly. “Thank you,” she said. “You’re exactly how I imagined you.”

Scott blinked, between confusion and curiosity. “What?” he asked, but Josephine didn’t reply as she just greeted the others and moved towards the exit. Theo looked as she went away, and when he straightened his glance, Scott was looking at him with his usual warm smile, his hands in his pockets.

“So,” he said. “Any idea for lunch?”

Theo shifted his weight between  his feet. He couldn’t hide behind the camera now . Taking a photo of someone asking you what to eat would have been weird at the very least. 

“Well,” Stiles said with a lopsided grin. “What about-“

“No pizza,” Lydia commented, arching a brow. 

“I know a good  restaurant,” Theo replied slowly.

“It’s not the first time you come around here?” 

Theo shook his head. “No, ” he commented, fixing his bag on the shoulders. “I was here when Josephine gave birth,” he explained then. “I’ve been here for almost three weeks, we came in the area for dinner before she gave birth.”

Stiles remained quiet for a moment, studying him for a moment, as if he was trying to evaluate whether he could trust him or not. That was something Theo was strangely accustomed to.  _ Well, it happens to lose the trust of someone who never trusted in the first place if you kill his best friend.  _

“That was nice of you ,” Stiles said in the end, crossing his arms and glancing at Scott before looking at him. 

Theo nodded and cleared his throat.  “ The restaurant isn’t far from here .”

“Good,” Stiles nodded and took Lydia’s hand . “We’ll go and call a taxi then.”

Theo looked as the couple walked out, Lydia leaning closer to tell Stiles something. Soon the others followed, and just Scott waited back with him. Theo turned slowly to look at him, his hands slipping in his pockets.

_Scott 101: Scott always forgives, especially if it’s him you tried to kill. _

“So… how are you?”

 

Scott, that he had actually killed. Scott, that he had tried to turn his friends against. And yet, the only one that had gestured towards him when the ghost of Tara had grabbed his ankle. And the one now asking him how he was.

_ I don’t know. _

“I’m fine, I guess,” he replied. “I’m alive.”

Scott started walking waiting for Theo to follow. “ You’re a reporter now?”

“Photo reporter,” he specified with a little nod of the head.

“I understand you’ve seen a lot of awful stuff,” he  said , with the inquisitive and emphatic nod. He could see the young boy he had envied so much in him. 

“It’s easier to do that behind a camera.”

Scott licked his lips, taking a little pause.  “You disappeared so suddenly. ”

“Not  the first time,” Theo sniffed.

“Yeah, but last time you weren’t our ally,” Scott continued as they were a few steps from the others. “And didn’t fight with us for that long,” he concluded.  “You helped a great deal with the hunters, saved Liam’s life many times.”

_ Ally? _

“I...” 

Theo shook his head, as Scott patted his back. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay now. And not alone.”

And then Scott walked to Malia, who was waiting with her arms crossed, together with Stiles and Lydia. Liam was with Mason and Corey, not really seeming to even consider his presence.

Corey turned to him and made a little smile. 

“I’m hungry,” he said. “The cabs are here, let’s go.”

***

“What’s so strange about the word ally?” Liam asked abruptly ,  from the front seat of the taxi. Theo blinked and looked at the rearview mirror , where he met Liam’s gaze. He was right behind him.

“Nothing, why?”

“You seemed confused when Scott called you ally,” he continued. “What’s the problem?”

“I didn’t expect to be one.”

Liam snorted and looked away, out of the window. 

Mason moistened his lips, looking at Corey at his side. 

“Intense, ” he whistled and  the other three guys turned at the same time to him, blinking. 

“It was!” Corey tried again, raising his hands. 

“My boyfriend,” Mason said emphatically. “I could marry you right now.”

“Are you two for real?” Liam mumbled, turning and glaring at them.

“It was intense,” Mason agreed. “All this anger and tension.”

 

 

Liam’s eyes widened. “ _Tension _ ?” he snapped, grabbing the seat as he was going to add something else when Theo tried to choke a laugh pressing his hand on his lips.

Liam looked at him in disbelief. “Laughing?” he blurted. “How dare you laugh? You’re not allowed to laugh. I will laugh first and you’ll know you’re allowed to!”

Theo blinked and the other two held their breath. “So, I  am going to be allowed to laugh?” he asked, trying to keep his lips from creeping a smile.

Liam puffed air out and rolled his eyes. “If,” he sniffed and sat again on the seat, crossing his arms.  

“You didn’t say  ‘if’ before,” Theo sang. “You said ‘I will’.”

“You want another punch?”

“No, thank you,” Theo replied immediately.

Liam looked at him through the mirror again, biting his lower lip to keep the corner down. “Good, so shut up,” he spat. 

Theo raised his hands in a resigned gesture and didn’t say anything else. It was as if something had just lightened up in his chest. A spark of warmth. He looked down at his camera, playing with the buttons and trying to push away Josephine’s voice.

_ Shut up,  _ _I’m still going._ He turned the camera off, staring at the black screen, reflecting his face. _ I have to. _ His eyes rose up, glancing at Liam as he was looking outside the window. Theo laid back, studying a moment his profile. Liam seemed to feel his gaze on him and turned a bit. Their eyes met for a second, and then Liam looked away again.

_ Fifi, I guess there is a past I can’t just face. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'll update faster in the future, I'm sorry! And next chapters are going to be more...eventful, I promise. Thank you for following me!


	9. Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was just a little nod, than they looked at each other for a brief moment. Theo was sure it was a mistake of his mind. But for a moment, he though he had seen a glimpse of pain in those blue eyes.

**Then**

“You’re ready?” Liam asked, walking in with his nose behind the book.

“For what?” Theo’s voice asked, coming from an another room.

Liam changed the page, arching a brow. “For what? For-”

Theo had only a towel wrapped around his waist and, judging by the drop of water on his chest, he had just came out from the shower. “For…?”

 “For… ahm, we, I mean. We…hunters?”

 “Hunters? And we need to fight them with a…” Theo asked with a brow arched as he took his book from his hands. “A…history book?”

Liam blushed hard. “No,” he scoffed. “I meant study. You said I could study here. Together. I mean studying.”

When Liam managed to move his eyes from his chest to his face, he noticed his smug and curious grin. He threw the book against his chest. “Shut it.”

“I wasn’t saying anything!”

 

**Now**

_No way_ , Liam thought, as they were standing on the outside area of the Spa, all dressed up. Meaning, with his cotton trousers and shirt on. No abdomen showing – well, at least not Liam’s. The others were enjoying the pools at the sunset. He had no intention to put a swim suit. _For what? To wait for Theo fucking Reaken to walk in like we were in some kind of lame romantic comedy movie?_

“Hey, Liam.”

_No way. There is nothing romantic in all of this anyway._

“I don’t think he’s listening.”

_Yes, I’m not straight-straight, now that’s a given, but that doesn’t mean I’m into him._

“He’s really not.”

_Plus that’d be fucked up. And he didn’t even want to meet us, so…_

“Lydia, scream, maybe that’ll get his attention.”

_Besides, what does it have to do his shirtless-ness with mine or supposed mine?_

“I’m not screaming.”

_And he’s not even here._

“Guys, I’m starting to worry. Does he even realize he’s walking on the border of the pool without looking?”

_Like usual._

“Scott, roar.”

_I should just get in the suit and enjoy a good swim._

“Scott, _don’t_ roar.”

“What? He’s his beta.”

“We’re in a _pool_ and there are other people.”

“We do are in a pool.”

“Stiles?”

“Let me fix this.”

“Stiles!”

Before Liam knew it, Stiles had managed to get out of the pool, go behind him and push him in the water with basically a pat.

“What the f-”

“Language son!” Stiles said triumphantly with his hands on his hips. Liam emerged from the water growling, his eyes yellow. Stiles jumped and slipped on the border, sitting on it with a _thud_ and a colorful strings of swears.

“Language dad,” Liam snapped, puffed hair out.

“You two…” Scott threatened, arching a brow.

“What’s going on?” another voice asked, as Theo – all dressed, for Liam’s (dis)content – was coming in, side by side with Josephine, who was wearing sunglasses, a large hat and a parasol, little Therese in her arms. Theo had his camera on his side and a pair of sunglasses on his head.

“You’ve gone to take pictures?” Scott asked.

Theo glanced at his camera. “Oh… yeah.”

Liam blurted something as he sat on the border of the swimming pool. _Obviously._

“Can we see them?” Scott asked, walking to him as Theo gave him the camera, glancing at Stiles, who was evidently wondering if he could have the chance of throwing it in the pool.

“Don’t you dare,” Theo threatened.

“I didn’t do anything,” Stiles protested.

Theo arched a brow and at Lydia’s sigh Stiles decided to let it go. Then Theo passed Scott his camera, letting him glance at his picture with a bit of embarrassment.

“They’re good,” Scott said, honestly surprised.

“He’s the best,” Josephine chimed in with a proud smile – she couldn’t possible seem more a proud mom, in that moment. “That’s why I chose him.”

“I was the only photographer willing to _sneak_ in Syria with you,” Theo commented, arching his brow – again.

“What? We didn’t go to Syria first.”

“We did.”

“It was Mosul.”

“After or before the army freed it?” Lydia asked, tilting her head, taken aback.

“During,” Theo commented, and then turned back to Josephine. “It was Syria first. We went inside in full-wolf form.”

“I guess you’re right,” Josephine scratched her head.

“But that’s actual war,” Liam finally chimed in. “Why…”

“Well, reckl-”

“Reckless? Theo Reaken?” Liam interrupted, looking at Theo. “The Theo we knew has always been the kind of person to carefully make sure nothing can touch him, since when you go around _willing_ putting yourself in danger?”

A moment of silence fall, only broken by Stiles’ – not so – casual try to clear his throat.

Theo was looking at Liam, his eyes tense.

“Who knows?” Josephine voice had everyone turn. “Who could say why someone decides to take a dangerous job like his?”

“Not the love of truth, for sure,” Liam insisted, crossing his arms, his heart painfully beating against his ribs cage. “Or for other-”

“Enough,” Josephine said, her voice calm and determined. “I didn’t want an answer, Liam. I know the answer.” He eyes leaned on Theo’s tense shoulder. _More than he does._

Liam looked away, evidently nervous for having been shut up. “I hate rhetorical questions,” he growled.

“Then pose un-rhetorical ones,” she replied, with a calm smile. “Now-”

“Can I hold Therese?” Malia chimed in, making every head turn in uber shock.

Josephine arched a brow than looked at her baby girl. “Why? I mean, it’s kind of sudden…”

“It’s just…” she didn’t end the phrase and just mumbled.

“Well, okay, walk me to fetch some fruit at the bar, I’m hungry.” She said and stood up, letting Malia take the baby as they walked.

“I like French people,” Malia tried to explain as Josephine patted her back. “Sure you do, _cherie_.”

The group observed the two go away, stunned. Stiles, Liam, Mason and Corey’s heads turned at the same time to Scott.

“Is she pregnant?”

“What?! No-it’s impossible!”

“Why would that be impossible?” Stiles inquired. “Are you guys…”

“She’s got her period last week,” he replied, defensively.

“Actually,” Stiles and Lydia said at the same time. “Sometimes one-”

“That’s awkward,” Theo mumbled.

“For real,” Lydia commented, arching her eyebrow.

“Then, what’s this fuss about the baby?”

Scott looked at Malia, in distance, looking at the baby and tilting her head, as if she was valuating something. Josephine was calmly saying something.

“Maybe she’s thinking if she wants one,” Mason said, thoughtful.

“The question in that case is…” Stiles arched both of his eyebrows. “Scott, what the hell are you still doing here? Go talk to her!”

Lydia widened her hands with her palms up in a very explicative gesture. In that moment, Theo remembered _why_ those two worked perfectly as a couple. They were opposite in many things – but not on the level of sass: they were equal on that.

They watched as Scott stood up and followed the two women. Then Stiles glanced at Lydia and at her belly. “I’m not ready for two kids,” she shut him off immediately.

“You don’t have twins in your family.”

“I’ve got a Stiles,” she pointed out and took his hand, than glanced at the other two. “Let’s go have a double date at the bar.”

“You mean let’s overhear Scott and Malia and leave Liam and Theo alone?”

“What the hell?” Liam protested.

“I’m in,” Mason agreed and Corey nodded.

“Mason!?”

But Mason was soon gone, and Theo and Liam were the only one at the pool. The younger wolf crossed his arms and glanced at the chimera.

“You’re going to punch me again?”

“I did miss punching you.”

“Noticed.”

Liam licked his own lips and then looked at him, his eyes roaming on his face. “Let me see those pictures,” he mumbled and took the camera as Theo handed it to him. Liam sat down on one of the sunbed, looking at the pictures. They were stunning. Especially the ones portraying people. He seemed really capturing their soul. _You’ve always been good at that. For bad or for worse._

“You’ve seen a lot of things,” he said, this time calmly. “Iraq, uhu?”

“Yeah.”

“Where else? Only war places?”

“Not only.”

“But mostly,” he commented.

“I’ve been on the K2 and Everest. Easier when you heal, or twice I’d have lost a foot or two.”

“Well, you’re lucky your dick didn’t fall off,” Liam scoffed, and then shook his head, forcing himself not to smile amused. _It must have been incredible._

“So… History, uhu?” Theo asked then, a bit mimicking it. Liam glared a moment at him, then he nodded.

“Listen, you…were in Milan?”

“Go back a couple of pictures,” Theo sighed, passing his fingers through his hair. Liam arched his brown and then obliged. Then he saw it. The picture at the airport.

_That’s me._

When Liam’s blue eyes flashed up, they were angry. “That’s stalking, why didn’t you...”

“No, I didn’t even see you when I took it!” he said defensively.

Liam hated to admit it, but that hurt. “I tried to call you,” he finally said, almost hissing.

“I don’t have that number anymore,” Theo replied, moistening his lips. “My phone blew up in Afghanistan.”

“Usually that’d be a bullshit of excuse, but…” Liam nodded and sniffed, as he kept going on with the pictures. One was him, taken probably by someone else. The situation seemed intimate. Without even noticing, Liam growled.

“Liam, l-”

 “You know what I don’t understand?” Liam snapped and almost threw the camera to him, his eyes ablaze. “What I don’t understand is if you could have been such a good friend for Josephine, why couldn’t you be that for us?”

_For me?_

“We were fr-”

“ _Bullshit_!” Liam roared, his eyes flashing yellow.

“If I’m friends with Josephine I owe it to you-”

“The fuck?” He whispered, his eyes incredulous. “For real, Theo?” He shook his head and widened his arms, before letting them fall on his sides. “You know what? Fuck you. Friends stick together. That’s what Scott taught me, what he taught you too, when you realized that the best chance to survive was not power but _people_ ready to save your ass.”

Theo tried to take a step further, but Liam rose an hand. _You pushed me where I thought I’d never go. And you left me there alone. Again._

“I’m sorry,” Theo replied. Liam studied him, incredulous and his shoulders sagged.

“About what, now?”

“Everything.”

Liam puffed air out, then shook his head. “No need to be,” he said. “Silly me to think we were friends. I should have learnt the lesson.”

“What lesson?” Theo asked, almost resigned. The moment his eyes met Liam’s, he understood that he would have done better not to ask.

“Not to trust you,” he growled and then walked past him.

“W-” Theo blurted. “I’ve saved your life-”

“You saved my life even when you were trying to get me to kill Scott!” he snapped back, turning again.

“I didn’t have anything to gain with Monroe’s friends.”

“You always have something to gain,” Liam closed the distance once again, pushing him back. “You stay until it’s convenient and then puff-you’re gone!”

“And what do you think I got from leaving last time?”

“I don’t know,” Liam hissed. “But there has to be, or instead of saying bullshit and a lame ‘sorry’, why don’t you tell me the truth? Why did you leave?!”

Theo tried to reply, but his voice died in his throat.

Liam looked at him, panting. Then he let out a bitter scoff. “Okay,” he said. “Enough. Listen, I don’t want to ruin this vacation for everyone. So we see this thing. And in two days everyone on his road again. So… let’s just… go. Okay?”

“Okay.”

It was just a little nod, than they looked at each other for a brief moment. Theo was sure it was a mistake of his mind. But for a moment, he though he had seen a glimpse of pain in those blue eyes. He didn’t have the guts to try to verify his chemo signals.

He took a step back and let Liam move past him, sliding his hands in his pockets.

 

**Then**

 

Liam had gone to sit down on the ground closer to the couch, mumbling something behind the book, kept up to his face.

Theo’s lips curved into a little confused smile. That time, keeping the beating of his heart slow was almost impossible. Luckily for him, Liam was too focused on hiding his own to notice.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m profoundly sorry for having you all wait for so long. I had intense months lately. I’ll try to be faster (given someone remembers this fic in first place!)
> 
> And thanks to manonlemelon for checking my French. Someone should check my English too, but that’s another story.


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